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United Church of Christ, Norwell, is hosting a FREE community screening of the documentary “Being Mortal,” on Sunday October 22, 2017, 2-4pm, at 460 Main Street, Norwell. Following the screening, audience members can participate in a guided expert panel conversation on how to take concrete steps to identify and communicate wishes about end-of-life goals and preferences. Free resource materials will also be available in Fellowship Hall following the program.

The film investigates the practice of caring for the dying and explores the relationships between patients and their doctors. It follows a surgeon, Dr. Atul Gawande, of Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Boston, as he shares stories from the people and families he encounters. When Dr. Gawande’s own father gets cancer, his search for answers about how best to care for the dying becomes a personal quest. The film sheds light on how a medical system focused on a cure often leaves out the sensitive conversations that need to happen so a patient’s true wishes can be known and honored at the end.

“Being Mortal” underscores the importance of people planning ahead and talking with family members about end-of-life decisions. While 70% of Americans say they would prefer to die at home, nearly 70% die in hospitals and institutions. And, 90% of Americans know they should have conversations about end-of-life care, yet only 30% have done so. In February 2015, “Being Mortal” aired nationally on the PBS program “Frontline.” For more information about the film, visit http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/being-mortal/. The film is adapted from Dr. Gawande’s 2014 nationally best-selling book of the same name.